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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · stand · degree · fork · root · pound · mug · firm

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. degree — temperature
  4. firm — decided
  5. fork — in a road
  6. root — of a plant
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mug — a face
  13. firm — a company
  14. kid — child
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — steady

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com